Graphics Books

First released in 1989 Earthian is more of a classic fantasy with a twist of BL that may bring a nostalgic feeling to some who read it. I picked up this series immediately after watching the anime for Earthian. In my opinion I love the manga much more as the character are presented with better background and depth.

The series, especially the first volume starts off a little rough and the art takes a bit of getting use to. Really, so many of the characters don't seem much different from each other but the story quickly captivated me and it didn't take much effort to tell which character is which. Personally I have grown to love the art. Earthian is also Kouga Yun's very first series so while I may have given her some slack based on that fact I am truly in love with this series.

The story revolves mostly around two angels from Eden, Chihaya and Kagetsuya who have been placed on Earth as plus and minus checkers respectively. The angels on Eden have come to the decision that the humans should be eliminated but before that, humans are at least given the chance to be judged, which is the job of plus and minus checkers. Though this is the premise, Earthian is an emotional story full of character development and the relationships the characters struggle to attain and keep. This is a BL series, the dialogue is pretty clear that there are some taboo relationships but this is also a fairly light shounen-ai series clearly more focused on devotion and the relationship itself.

Each book is bound in a lovely textured pearly cover and there is a color illustration on the first page of each volume. The quality of the pages are also better and smoother than the average domestic manga. An extra perk is the occasional new illustrations done by Kouga Yun, such as the cover and inside color illustration.

I have been praying that this manga would come to America and now I am rejoicing. First of all it's thick, which gives me plenty to read. Secondly, it describes the relationship with Chihaya and the other angles back in heaven. Which the anime never fully explained.

This manga is a must have for all if you Shonen-ai lovers out there. As the story goes along, you will discover secrets of angels

Over 400 pages Earthian is worth thrice its price. Strong plots with 2 endearing protagonists, Earthian a somewhat gentle Shounen-ai can do no wrong. It is much better than so many of those Yaoi/Shounen-ai released nowadays. I watched the Anime first and was captivated by the idea of 2 angels deciding the fate of humans and of course their love. The Anime definitely fell short of the Manga, disregarding important backgrounds and choppy and distorted towards the end. I am very glad Blu has released Earthian. This series should not be missed by those of us into Shounen-ai/Yaoi and those who are not should try it too. If nothing just for the captivating story line!

Yes, the plot meanders more than it should, and yes, Kouga Yun's drawing style here is a bit dated, but getting hung up on these issues means you'll miss out on a classic tale, one that not only becomes increasingly satisfying as it goes on but that also inspired a host of later works. Read anything with angels in it lately? Read Earthian and then go back and look at that newer manga again--chances are you'll notice some elements that look mighty familiar . . .
And a tip 'o the hat to Blu for producing such a pretty volume.

This is only the fifth in the series of 15 graphic novels for this series and there are some great single stories here, but the value of this series is in the whole series. It is in my opinion the best Japanese Manga series available. It's overall story is close to earth with no robots or aliens and the problems encountered are true to life, which makes this such a great series. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a great Manga series that is touching, romantic and heart warming.

When Kyoko gets together with her family to commemorate the 3 year anniversary of her husband's death, an uncomfortable topic comes up. Her relatives begin to pressure her about when she's going to remarry, settle down, and have some kids! Kyoko begins to scout what Yusaku and Mitaka's attitudes towards marriage are and what they would expect out of a wife. Neither prospect seems especially attractive. Kyoko isn't the only one wavering between two lovers as Yusaku is still seing Kozue a bit, and Kyoko even catches him trying to sneak an inebriated girl he just met into a love hotel! The big event in this volume is that Yusaku's ancient and tiny grandma who could almost double for Yoda comes to visit Maison Ikkoku. She has her own designs on hooking up Yusaku with a good woman, and she's willing to step on his toes to get it done.

Maison Ikkoku reads to me like a slice of life independent American comic. This would be a good manga for a non-manga reader because it's just about normal life. Rumiko Takahashi is a genius when it comes to taking ordinary events and milking them for comedy. It's almost like watching Seinfeld in its mix of surreal moments of humor with human truth on how the human animal reacts to situations. Volume 5 of Maison Ikkoku continues the excellence this series started with and gives you the feeling that it will never decline as it goes forward.

The fifth Ikkoku graphic novel is good. But they're all great, so this being great is nothing special.

OH, BABY
Kyoko's mom pressures her to remarry so she can have grandchildren.
MY NOTES
Contains some pretty funny visions Kyoko has of whether she marries Godai or Mitaka. And it all ends in a SLAP!

A VERY TIGHT GAME
The Cha Cha Maru baseball team steps up at bat!
MY NOTES
18 to 11 already?! Are they playing baseball or basketball?!

SHALL WE... REST A WHILE?
Godai goes to a love hotel with a girl, but is caught by Kyoko.
MY NOTES
Godai truly needs to grow a brain cell.

GRANDMA GOES TO TOWN
Grandma Yukari arrives at Ikkoku to visit. Also, Godai and Kyoko are forced to take Yukari to her Tokyo reunion.
MY NOTES
These old women are SENILE! Getting names confused and jumping from emotions are proof!

STOP FOLLOWING ME!
Yukari follows Yusaku on his date with Kozue.
MY NOTES
No important notes. It's just a funny chapter.

COME ON A MY HOUSE
Mitaka invites Grandma Yukari and her grandchild (who he thinks is Kyoko) to his house.
MY NOTES
REALLY funny! Especially when Yukari tells the story of her marrying Grandpa Godai.

GRANNY'S OL' PLUM WINE
Soichiro (the dog) gets drunk!
MY NOTES
That's one grabby little pooch!

PLAYING HICKEY
Kyoko gets jealous over a hickey on Godai's shoulder. Little does she know, Sakamoto accidentally gave Godai that hickey.
MY NOTES
Just cause he's spineless and clumsy doesn't mean he doesn't have-Plenty of GIRLS!

A HOT WIND
On a trip to Okinawa, Godai runs into a very `talkative' girl name Konatsu.
MY NOTES
A good chapter. It's pretty appealing, but I can't figure out why.

OK. That's all.

Another delightful book in the Maison Ikkoku series. I seem to be repeating myself quite often with these words, but anyway good book. The book begins off with the usual struggle: Kyoko vs her parents this time the topic of argument is grandchildren, and leave it to Mrs. Chigusa to drive bamboo shoots underneath Kyoko's fingernails. Mrs. Chigusa even invites Mitaka out for coffee, and of course Mrs. Ichinose and Yusaku are with them. The main highlight of this book, however, is the arrival of Godai's Grandmother Yukari. She meddles in Yusaku's life trying to find out his loves, so she seems to pick up very quickly that Godai has feelings for the beautiful Kyoko. She even gets Mitaka to take the gang to his apartment so Godai can check out his competition, and let's say that Godai falls quite far behind Mitaka in the material world, but Godai is our hero he will persevere. hehe

After a long stretch of melodrama, Rumiko Takahashi deals with some more lighthearted material in the fifth "Maison Ikkoku" volume. Now rereleased in their original order, this charming little collection mixes drama, comedy, and romance in equal measure.

Yusaku Godai has just returned from his stint in self-imposed exile... and he has a bad cold, Kyoko isn't home, and the other tenants are tormenting him. No sooner has he recovered than it's the holidays, and despite his poverty Yusaku manages to give his beloved manager a special gift for Christmas. But Valentine's day brings a new set of problems when Kozue gives him a gift of pansies (meaning: Keep me in your heart), and Kyoko finds out about them.

Things get more complicated when a frustrated Kozue asks Mitaka for advice on men -- and people think that Mitaka is secretly involved with Yusaku's girlfriend. But Yusaku has bigger problems: he finds himself threatened by the memory of Kyoko's late husband Soichiro, when Kyoko's father-in-law asks him to bring her Soichiro's old diary. And Kyoko finds a strange entry in the diary, but the postcard that was tucked inside is missing. It fell out in Yusaku's bag. Will he do the right thing and return it to her?

Since the previous volume of "Maison Ikkoku" had lots of drama and misery and angst, Takahashi lightens things up here. Kyoko's imagination runs wild when she's urged to have kids -- she sees herself surrounded by dozens of squalling babies. Soichiro's food-diary is pretty odd. Yusaku's hormones run wild when Kyoko buys a leotard. And finally the "ship of fools" plays dress up with their high-school clothes -- yes, even the relatively sane Kyoko joins in.

But the romance ante is upped too, as Yusaku and Kyoko accidently kiss (after Akemi drunkenly smooches both of them), and Yusaku goes to great lengths to prove himself to the woman he adores. The two of them aren't involved -- and won't become so for a long time -- but Takahashi knows how to stretch out romantic tension without making it snap.

Our loser hero has grown up a little, and become more responsible and less of a goofball. And Kyoko (who is having sexy dreams about Yusaku) is definitely starting to move past Soichiro, although she's still definitely hung up on her late husband. And except for the beleagered preteen Kentaro, the other inhabitants of Maison Ikkoku are as nutty as ever.

In its fifth volume, "Maison Ikkoku" opts for fluffier standalone fare, but it's still quite touching and romantic. An entertaining continuing story.

This collection of Tony Carrillo's wonderful new comic strip F MINUS shows why he is gaining in popularity across the country. His offbeat humor is both original and right on the money.

His Spartan art only complements the humor and makes it a stand out in the current field of The Far Side wannabes in today's newspapers and bookstores.

Here's hoping there are many more collections of this laugh out loud strip in the years to come.

Having spent a few years at Arizona State when F-Minus was run in the campus paper, I've seen pretty much the whole collection. This book is an excellent collection of comics run over the first year of syndication, and it contains some of my favorites.

That being said, it needs more of the work Tony did in the ASU newspaper. I'm not sure if there's an issue with the syndication/copyright/whatever that prevents those from being included, but there are only about five pages worth of ASU-era F-Minus comics. Hopefully the rest surface (or have surfaced) somewhere for posterity's sake.

I really enjoy this book, my kind of sense of humor. With this book, now I don't have to refer back to my hard drive where I save my favorite F-Minus comics when I need a laugh. If you enjoy Garfield comics or not, you will definitely enjoy this book!

This book is excellent for any fan of f-minus. It always fun to see comics from his college years as well as his comics from the first year of syndication. I highly recommend getting this book.

What a great book. I've been a fan of F-Minus and Carrillo for a while, but this book is full of comics that I have read and some that are new to me and each one is better than the last. I'm just waiting for the sequel.

Well, Yusaku's dream has finally come true! He's gonna get to see his great love Kyoko in a revealing swimsuit as he agrees to take little brat Kentaro to the beach. It's too bad that his rival, tennis coach Mitaka is also along for the ride. But he has one thing on his side! Mitaka is deathly afraid of dogs, including Kyoko's Mr. Soichiro. Maybe Yusaku will get to show his macho side and prove he's the better man? That's if he can endure Mitaka and Kyoto going out on a date. Yusaku himself has his own miniature shojo romance going too, when he meets up with Kozue, a former co-worker, when he's desperate for a date.

Rumiko Takahashi is a master, or should I say mistress, of creating awesome and endearing characters. Her designs are beautiful and her style is very recognizable. The great thing about Maison Ikkoku is that no single element overwhelms you. The comedy, romance, and at times deep emotion all work in harmony with each other. Very well written and funny. Masterpiece.

Not only do Yusaku and Kyoko have to deal with the other tenants and Coach Mitaka, they have to deal with Kyoko's parents! Her dad is a tad bit overprotective, and when we first meet him he is slinking around the building in a trenchcoat, looking very suspicious. And her mother is a conniving witch who actually makes her daughter move out of Maison Ikkoku!

Kyoko knows she should love her parents like a good daughter should, but it is so hard with parents like these!

Not only do Yusaku and Kyoko have to deal with the other tenants and Coach Mitaka, they have to deal with Kyoko's parents! Her dad is a tad bit overprotective, and when we first meet him he is slinking around the building in a trenchcoat, looking very suspicious. And her mother is a conniving witch who actually makes her daughter move out of Maison Ikkoku!

Kyoko knows she should love her parents like a good daughter should, but it is so hard with parents like these!

Another stellar volume of Maison Ikkoku. In this volume the primary focus is Kyoko's parents. It is obviously not unusual for parents to want the best for their children, but Kyoko's parents take it a bit too far. So in this volume the Ikkoku gang are faced with Kyoko's overprotective father and domineering mother. The mother even tries to enlist the help of Mrs. Ichinose in order to make Kyoko go back home and go back to her maiden name. It is all good fun, and also we get to see a doubles tennis match: Kyoko and Godai vs Mitaka and Mrs. Ichinose! Of course we also cannot forget about Kozue Nanao; she seems to want Godai and her relationship to go to the next level. kono manga o yonde kudasai!! (please read this manga!!

Rumiko Takahashi's funny, romantic series "Maison Ikkoku" is being rereleased in a cheaper edition, allowing more people to check out this unique story. It's a twist on the boy-meets-girl story, in which the girl is a haunted widow and the boy is a struggling college student.

Yusaku Godai's life changed forever when the beautiful Kyoko became manager of the rundown Maison Ikkoku. His attempts to get closer to her were thwarted when he learned that her beloved husband died not long ago. Now he has another problem -- Shun Mitaka. He's rich, handsome, debonair, nice, and he's in love with Kyoko too.

To make things even more complicated, Yusaku has to deal with Kozue, a girl he once worked with who has a massive crush on him. He likes Kozue, but not that way. Misunderstandings about restaurants, dog phobias, stinging jellyfish, puppet shows and a sprained ankle make Yusaku's life even harder -- and that's not including his crazy, obnoxious neighbors.

"Maison Ikkoku" is hard to describe -- it's a little too dramatic to be a romantic comedy, but too funny to be a straightforward drama. There are a lot of situations that Takahashi does well and often, like Yusaku bursting in on the bathing Kyoko. The story is more streamlined and fluid, and even the dramatic interludes burst into comedy quickly enough (usually because of the crazy inhabitants of Maison Ikkoku).

Yusaku grows up a little, gaining confidence and backbone (although he's still a pushover). Kyoko's jealousy and temper are shown more vividly here, when she thinks Yusaku is playing around with several girls. And one of the nicest things about Takahashi's work is that romantic rivals are not portrayed as mean or bad. Mitaka and Kozue aren't bad people, just unfortunately in love with the protagonists. They both actually seem quite pleasant, especially the dog-phobic Mitaka (which presents a major obstacle to a relationship with Kyoko).

Both longtime fans and newcomers will enjoy the second volume of "Maison Ikkoku," with all its embarrassing humor and sweet romance. Highly recommended.

My good friend, a comic shop owner, gave me his signed collection of "Keef's" first collection. I remember Keith wandering around the San Diego Comic Con wearing a paper mache' head of his comic character which was, of course, himself. He was having a blast. His strip is full of good belly laughs and his poigniant take on contemporary living is bare bones hilarious. He can be considerably less than tactful but then so is life. So, do yourself a favor and buy his books, all of them. So what if he has brown skin. Who cares? Just dump the "race" crap. His life is full of the same triumphs and disappointments as the rest of us "white" folks. That's the key; he's clearly in there with the rest of us just struggling to make his life make sense even when it's obviously, often senseless, to no fault of his own. To have to make that point is pretty obsequious in itself.
You don't have to fully agree with his take on things to get the points he's making.
And....best of all, he's funny!

Knight's second "K Chronicles" collection is as zany as his first. From birthdays to family relations to touring with his band the Marginal Prophets to being subjected to "The Phantom Menace" movie, his cartoons's themes are full of social commentary, neurotic humor, and skewed realism. I think his ones about working at youth hostels and seeing the cultural-centrism of America at work are so perfectly calibrated. He's definitely worth reading, and I certainly wish his comic appeared in my area!

Oh, and his comics inspire me daily to stare at the walls and envision drawings of snowstorms (like page 103).

I have met Keith several times and not only are his comics swell but he is a really great guy. His humor shines. I have bought this for friends as a gift and it has not ever disaappointed.

Listen, just get this book. This is not one of those reviews where I'm going to say funny things, or make up gorgeous metaphors for anyone's catastrophic talent. Just get this book. It's really funny, and you like funny, right? Everyone likes funny!

I'm not African American, or a guy, and I don't live in California, and I'm not an artist, and I don't have a twin, but I can relate to this guy-- OK, we're the same age, and yeah, that helps, but the point is, he's just some guy. He's not married to Jane Pauley, or earning six figures, but really, he's better than them all.

The very best thing about Wednesday is that a new K Chronicles comic is posted to Salon.com! Keef is exceedingly talented and I wish my local newspaper ran his strip daily instead of the mostly boring and awful ones they feature presently. Unfortunately, this will not happen in my lifetime - luckily there are books like this to fill the gap!

This book has helped me a lot for the TV commercial to be created in Flash..I thank the author of the book for this wonderfull help..

In order to use the examples in this book you will need a MacIntosh. You will also have buy quite a number of third-party plugins. If you own a Mac and have money for plugins than this is a very helpful book.

But look elsewhere if you only have a Windows computer and want to use only Flash for video work.

An excellent Flash book. It goes through every aspect of the production process, from writing the script to exporting to videotape. It tells you how to prepare your Flash animations the right way, and provides information on the correct project size, frame rate, title & action safe guides, etc. for broadcast. This information is invaluable if you ever intend to submit your Flash animation to a festival or studio, and you have to export your movie out to videotape. I also found the interviews with seasoned Flash animators to be very insightful. You will not regret buying this book.

If you're a traditional animator or a web-based flash animator (all levels), "Flash MX Design for TV and Video" IS the definitive guide to taking your flash animation to video, television and DVD. Not only is this book chock full of animation techniques, it also explores working with sound, flash video capabilities and limitations, visual storytelling and cross-purposing, the process of designing your project with a variety of delivery options in mind. This book is a must-have for every serious Flash Animator seeking to take their flash stories to the next level. We are proud to recommend it to our FlashTV members.

Nicholas Da Silva, ...

Its just a mater time before more quality content shifts from the workstations to the living rooms of the world. This is the definitive guide on bridging Flash content for the Web to Television. A truly indespensible reference for any Flash professional wanting to make the transition.
Janet Galore and Todd Kelsey lay it all out clearly and write in an easy to read style that doesn't skimp on details. The entire book is laden with terrific artwork and helpful screen grabs that support the text. Very undaunting for the visually inclined.
The sections on video exporting, and postproduction effects was particularly eye opening. this section alone cleared a lot uncertainty for me.
While this book won't make the reader a better Flash animator/designer, it most definately will make any level Animator or designer a more informed artist. It will open a lot of doors personaly and in the hands of a talented, creative person, change the ever evolving face of the Flash community indelibly.

I've been a professional animator for over 10 years and I found this to be a valuable resource. It's written by some very talented people over at Animax Entertainment, who have tons of production experience. It offers great organizational tips and tricks for building and animating your characters. It also gives so much insight from the perspective of working on a larger productive team. Sure it's easy to develop your own ways of working when you work by yourself, but the suggestions in this book are a very smart and efficient approach for working on any sized project. They also give you a list of plugins that will help... and even describe how to make them work for you. And the information on how to make use of After Effects is just fantastic. I've adopted so many time-saving ways to work... things I never knew about in all of my years using Flash! I am using this book constantly for reference as I work on my new cartoon project. Thanks guys!

I found very helpful the guides given by the authors. I was trying to figure out how develop a short cartoon animation in a correct way and after I read this book I found the answers. Thanks!

If you're looking for a book that teaches you how to draw in Flash, this is not the book for you. It will, however, teach you the nuts and bolts of animation, the technical information necessary to make animation less time consuming, which is a must-have imo.

This book is a must for everyone who is tired of animating on paper and wishes to digitalize their work completely in Flash or After Effects. The book covers many great aspects including; making shortcuts of your workflow with user made extensions, brilliant tips & tricks and personal advices how to make life easier for the animators.

This book is also amazing for those who already have knowledge of Flash or After Effects, but wish to enhance their skills or take their production to the next level.

After reading this book, my animation workflow and quality improved.

Best recommendations from here.


-Alex Volkov (Flash Animator)

There are many books about cartoon animation in Flash. What sets this book apart from the rest is the approach the authors have taken to make this book much more than just another step-by-step book about drawing and animating characters. Foundation Flash Cartoon Animation is for the animator who needs to stretch beyond the mechanics of the Flash tools and perfect the decision-making process necessary to become a productive animator. One of the biggest questions that is answered in this book is when to use Flash and how to use it most efficiently. The next question is what tasks are beyond Flash's capabilities and when to turn to another software such as After Effects.

The authors assume that the reader has a basic knowledge of Flash and the principles of animation. Because of this, you will find only a few step-by-step examples. What they do cover thoroughly is every phase of the production process for cartoon animation from planning, storyboards and animatics to post-production and delivery. The approach for this book is to examine working examples which can be downloaded from the publisher's website.

If you have ever created a complex character animation including lip synching and facial expressions, then you know that your character must be divided into a large number of individual animated parts. This is why the authors dedicate a whole chapter to organization and using the Flash library system to build character libraries. As you progress through the process from head comps and onward, the authors show when it is best to draw from scratch and when to use Flash symbols. Storyboards and animatics are next in the production process and the book covers several decisions that must be made such as choosing between traditional, hand-drawn storyboards and the digital method in Flash.

Moving from the planning stages to character creation, the authors discuss the technical and organizational issues such as Flash file structures and project architecture. They take a look at several working examples to give the reader a comprehensive overview of this topic. One of the most helpful aspects of this book is how the authors help you decide when Flash is not enough to get the job done and how to expand Flash's capabilities with plug-ins. They discuss several of their favorites, how to find more on the web and when to make your own.

One of the most important decisions that an animator will need to make is the choice between traditional frame by frame animation and tweening. The authors share their four step process for frame by frame animation and then discuss tweening and how to avoid common mistakes.

I mentioned earlier that the authors discuss the use of a dedicated motion graphic software such as After Effects to take your Flash project to a higher level of quality and sophistication. They discuss some of the advantages to using After Effects for editing and composition such as complex camera movements and 3D effects.

Flash has been plagued by one major drawback since its conception a decade ago and that is the extreme "digital" look of the vector artwork created in Flash. The authors share several tips and suggestions for enhancing your Flash project to achieve a more "hand-drawn" appearance to your animation including line styles and color choices. They also cover the digital equivalents for traditionally hand-drawn special effects such as distortion, drag, fade in/out and blurs.

This book was a joint effort of several authors. Tim Jones is an Emmy Award-winning producer and writer and head of production at ANIMAX Entertainment. Barry J. Kelly is an Emmy Award-winning editor and artist and is also a member of ANIMAX Entertainment. Allan S. Rosson is animation director at ANIMAX Entertainment and has over twenty years experience as an animator. David Wolfe was an animator at ANIMAX Entertainment and is now with Cartoon Network Studios.

If you're looking at buying this, you know what Sin City is. This collection is an oversized printing with thicker paper and darker inks. It's a very high-quality product and at ~$25 an issue, not a bad deal. I could only give it 4 stars because I noticed that at least 2 pages of story are missing from the second book as compared to the trade paperback. I don't know if those pages were added to the paperback version and not in the original comics, thus not used here, or if they were removed for some other reason, but since they are my two favorite pages in the book, I'm a tad disappointed. I'm not sure if anything else is missing; those two pages were all I noticed.

The only complaint I've heard about this collection is the lack of bonus materials. While I do agree with the argument, I believe you still get your money's worth and more in this product.

I've done some price comparisons online before purchasing these books, and amazon.com definately has the best price out there.

The packaging of the collection is eye catching; flat black with red foil lettering. The pages are quite thick and durable, a necessity for those of us who want to read them, as well as have something that looks good on a book-shelf.

The story and illustrations are now in larger print, giving you a better appreciation for the body of work.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Sin City books, this is still a good investment if you are fan of graphic novels. I was a fan of the film, and figured to give the books a try. Rather than spend a fortune tracking down the comics I thought I would try this. Not only does this series include a story-line not included in the film, but there is further elaboration on what you did not see in the film.

This is a great collection; the stories are wonderful, the packaging is great, and the price is right for what you are getting. I hope they continue to put these out. I know I'll be buying more.

If you can't guess why, you mustn't have liked the comics or the movie...

If there is a series that deserves an oversized format, it is SIN CITY. Point. No question about it. All that fantastic B&W art of Frank Miller blows away my mind every time I open up those books.But there is a problem: NO EXTRA STUFF!No sketch gallery,no unused pages or something like that.Anyway,the final design of the slipcase follows the art direction of the entire series!Take it!

Forget all the other imprints of this masterpiece. Finally Dark Horse does justice to this great series with this marvellous set. Marv, Goldie and all the others have never looked better. Just the quality of the paper and the blackness of the ink takes your breath away (matches the E.C. slipcased sets in quality printing). Just look at the other pictures above: aren't these covers awesome? Also included are beautiful color reproductions of most of the series' original covers. I would even go as far as to say that this set isn't just for fans. The panels are "ready to be framed" ... But then you'd need to buy at least two sets.... joking...
When you're interested in comic book inking, page set-ups, art in general or how to bring a plot to paper, buy this. You won't be disappointed. You'll want to read this over and over again. Each single dialogue, sharper than a razor blade, the movements frozen in mid-air. This will truely leave you breathless and in awe. When you liked the movie, buy this. It lets you appreciate the detail and leaves you the time to discover what maybe got lost through the pace of cinematic story-telling. I didn't like the movie as much as these books. Why? Here I have the time to appreciate every single frame, to let the characters grow inside my head. The movie didn't leave me that room. To me it almost became a series of scenes filled with too much senseless violence. Not that the books are any less violent or that because they leave you your own pace in reading them, they'd prepare you for anything that you have coming your way. No way. I just think they leave you more time and space to appreciate what great art it is that you are looking at - and for what a great price.

A very nice lady contacted me with the following review, stating that she doesn't have Internet access, but wanted to tell other readers about her experience.

"Gambling with the Enemy" is the first Toni Leland novel I've had the pleasure of reading. It definitely was very difficult to put down! Toni's vivid description of the settings and characters made the story come to life. She dealt with a sensitive topic that has touched all Americans in recent years. The main characters Jessica Rayder and Faith Angelo are both very complex individuals. Their passion for horses brought them together and created a bond that would get them through the most challenging and trying time of their lives. Howard London, handsome, intelligent and a much needed confidante, is the romantic temptation in Jessica's life. If you think you can predict what will happen, think again! Toni keeps us reading on in anticipation right up to the end. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an exciting suspense thriller!
L. Tonn - Newton Falls, Ohio

This book had me holding my breath from start to finish! A very exciting plot, with a character that I loved to hate and yet pulled for her all the way through the book. A real page burner!! I couldn't put it down, read it in one sitting (which kept me up til 2am and had my husband take over the book the following night). I wasn't sure if he'd be able to get through the stereotype of the the "romance" and "horse novel" and female characters, but he enjoyed it as much as I did - and finished it in record time. We can't wait for Toni Leland's next novel!!

In her third novel, Toni Leland keeps her reader's eyes glued to the page with a fast-paced plot, interesting and appealing characters, and a premise that is full of mystery and suspense.
Gambling With the Enemy is a very entertaining combination equestrian-suspense-romance novel. I look forward to reading more of this talented author's books.

Jessica Rayder and Faith Angelo are fast friends. They've been through a lot over their long relationship, but nothing has prepared them for the trouble that has arrived at their Connecticut equestrian center. While Jessica struggles with the bleak financial picture of the business and concerns that Faith is slipping into old self-destructive habits, the nature of the real enemy is unfathomable to them. Toni Leland's new book brings the best of her previous "Hearts Over Fences" and "Winning Ways" with her detailed equestrian knowledge and a strong female lead character, but the thrilling action and suspense is totally different. Jessica and Faith are manipulated by forces over which they have no control, and their reactions to the scene unfolding around them reflect the uncertainty of today's American climate after 9/11. The women are alternately unbelieving that this is happening in their presumed-safe country life, then get jolted into the reality of the dangers that must be faced. The portrayal of the busy and positive activities of the riding center, where adults and children are in harmony with horses, provides the perfect backdrop and contrast to the enemy's schemes. "Gambling with the Enemy" is a true page-turner, with diverse and realistic characters that interact in ever-building suspense. We look forward to the next Toni Leland book!!

Gambling with the Enemy is a modern thriller in every sense. Toni Leland demonstrates her knowledge of horses an the horse community, and then she couples that knowledge with the sense of doom that has hung over America since the fatal 9/11 attacks that crippled New York City. She demonstrates an insight at to what motivated those attacks, and applies that, in very concise literary form, to the equestrian world of show horses.
This is a novel with plot twists and deceitful characters that carries the reader right to the end, while exploring subtle human greed and exposing the darker side of mankind's soul. It does all of this before a backdrop of equestrian culture, which serves to give the story line a depth of history; these human motivations are older than America, going back beyond man's mastery over animals.
Gambling with the Enemy is a great read, captivating, and very informative as well.

Is Jim Davis trying to pull a George Lucas on us? All of these re-released full-color books are missing the final page of the original release books.

This re-release Third Book (Bigger Than Life) is missing the "Garfield Up Close And Personal" special page that was the final page of the original release.

It would be a shame to have the special comic lost to time. Luckily I have all the originals.

Normally I should give a 1-Star rating to show my displeasure with the missing content of this release. However, I simply can't bring myself to give a poor rating to a Garfield book.

Garfield is great! I love his books, I want my mom and dad to get the newspaper every day just so I can get more Garfield! In his third book Jim Davis' illustrations are at their best. Also I am just bummed that the Garfield books are finally on color. Odie is my favorite character.

Gotta love Garfield the cat. He says things that a lot of us don't have the guts to say. He is lazy, loves to sleep although I think eating outweighs his love for sleep even more, doesn't enjoy getting physical exams, and enjoys abusing the family dog. As hysterically funny as the first two Garfield books are, I really think that "Bigger Than Life" takes Garfield to a whole new level of laziness and gluttony. The animation is a lot better as well. Here the reader is introduced to the world's cutest (and annoying) kitten Nermal. Originally Nermal belonged to Jon's parents however over the years, Jim Davis just had Nermal drop in unexpectedly. The early drawings of Nermal was just as crude as the early Garfield drawings were. One of the greatest moments in this book was when Garfield sneezed and Jon's breakfast ended up on his face. The other greatest moment that I still love is when Jon leaves the house to go jogging, and Garfield finds a loose thread. Garfield pulls it until...well, Jon returns home unepxectedly in his birthday suit. An absolutely priceless moment for me. I also thought when Garfield caught a code was hilarious.
Whenever I feel down, I know I can always count on Garfield making me laugh with his antics.

Although his first two books are good, this book is better and I would consider this to be Garfield's best book of the pre-'82 era. I like the part when Garfield scratches on Jon's chair and Nermal got blamed for it, that was hilarious, if you're a Garfield fan then you can't go wrong getting this book and be sure not to let your cat do what Garfield does otherwise there will be a lot hell to pay.

Contains all the daily and Sunday strips August 27, 1979 through March 30, 1980.